World Cup Betting Tips

I fully expect Mexico to come out on top in this opening game. They’ve got quite a few advantages that other sides don’t get as a host nation, including playing this game and their other two group games at the Azteca - which is a unique playing environment due to the altitude. 

Mexico’s record at the Azteca is ridiculously good, they haven’t lost a game at the stadium since 2013 and have only lost two games in total since 2001. It’s clearly a massive advantage for them to be situated here in the early stages of the tournament, and that should give them a big boost in this opening game.

Mexico didn’t have to qualify as a host nation, but have avoided defeat in each of their last eight international matches - winning five of those games. They scored first in five of those games, and take on the weakest side in their group first with South Africa failing to win any of their last four international matches against the likes of Cameroon, Panama and Nicaragua.

Czechia’s recent matches have all been quite entertaining, they’ve seen 2+ goals in each of their last five international matches - including both of their play-off games to reach the World Cup against Republic of Ireland and Denmark.

They saw 26 goals across their eight qualifying matches (3.25 per game), and have quite a few match winners that can provide the goals in Patrick Schick and Tomas Soucek. Czechia are a very direct side, so this should lead to them generating chances from set pieces and crosses.

South Korea walked through their qualifying process, netting 20 goals in the process and conceding just seven (2.7 per game). They’ve seen 2+ goals in seven of their last 10 international matches, including hammerings by Brazil and Ivory Coast - suggesting that there is a defensive vulnerability there that Czechia can look to exploit.

Edson Alvarez has endured an injury-hit season at Fenerbahce, but he has returned just in time for the World Cup. The 28-year-old is expected to lead his national side as captain, and he should be involved in the opening game here against South Africa. It’s a winnable game on paper for Mexico, and the host nation are likely to be front-footed and aggressive in their approach. 

Alvarez was carded in Mexico’s final warm-up friendly before the World Cup, despite only featuring for the second half. Additionally, it wasn’t the most competitive match, finishing 5-1 against Serbia. 

The former West Ham man made 17 appearances across all competitions this season, and he was shown six yellow cards. In his debut season for the Hammers, Alvarez was booked 17 times from 42 appearances, which shows how he is no stranger to the referee’s notebook.

Khuliso Mudau is expected to start at right back for South Africa at the World Cup, which means he could have a tough matchup against Julian Quinones on the flank for this opening fixture. The 29-year-old scored 33 goals in 31 appearances across all competitions this season, playing for Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League. Quinones is one of the most dangerous players in the final third for Mexico, so Mudau should have plenty of defensive involvement. 

The full back currently plays for Mamelodi Sundowns, a team who usually dominate their domestic league, but he still picked up 10 yellow cards in 33 appearances across all competitions this campaign. The 31-year-old can often be quite aggressive in his challenges, and this matchup against Quinones will be a step up from the opponents he is used to facing.

Hwang Hee-Chan made 26 appearances for Wolves this season in the Premier League, with just 18 of those being starts. The striker averaged just 56 minutes per match, but he should have a far greater responsibility for his national side at the World Cup this summer. He didn’t have the desired effect, having only scored two league goals. In fact, he managed more yellow cards than goals, with five bookings to his name. 

Hwang has shown a willingness to drop deeper at times to help out his defence - a testament to his impressive work rate. The 30-year-old had an average of 1.73 fouls per 90 last season. There is very little to split South Korea and Czechia on paper, and this match could have massive ramifications on how Group A plays out, so it promises to be quite a competitive affair.

Wolves ranked top of the Premier League charts for total fouls committed in the 25/26 season, so it comes as no surprise that Ladislav Krejci is also a player to target in the cards market. The centre back had an average of 1.11 fouls per 90, which translated to six yellows and one red from his 34 appearances across all competitions. 

Krejci is given a huge responsibility for his national side, and he wears the captain's armband. He played a huge role in their qualification to the World Cup, scoring in both play-off matches, and he had an average of 1.66 fouls per game in Czechia’s nine qualifying games. The 27-year-old was fortunate to escape with just two bookings in that time, considering he recorded at least two fouls in eight of those matches.

Bosnia are a side that consistently get on the scoresheet, netting at least one goal in 14 of their last 15 international matches.

The 0-0 draw against North Macedonia ended a run of 13-straight games in which they had scored in, yet they still managed 16 shots in an encouraging offensive display.

Canada have conceded in their last two against European opposition (2 v Iceland and 1 v Ireland).

They also conceded in two of their four Gold Cup matches last summer, despite playing opponents significantly weaker than the Bosnia side they will come up against in Toronto.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that Bosnia have not received a single card in their two pre-tournament friendly matches; they are an aggressive team out of possession that has picked up at least two cards in nine of their last 10 competitive matches.

They habitually produce a high foul count – they have hit 15 or above in 80% of these games – offering the match officials plenty of opportunities to card them.

With 28 cards in qualifying, Bosnia averaged 2.62 per game, posting the 4th highest rate of yellows among all UEFA sides. Canada have drawn at least two cards from their opponents in eight of their last 10 friendlies.

The battle between Tahirovic and Ismael Kone in the heart of the field will be important in the destiny of this match, and it promises to produce fireworks.

Kone has won four fouls in 135 minutes of friendly action leading into this encounter, while the Bosnian has constantly picked up big foul numbers on the international scene.

He has at least one foul in eight of his last 10 competitive international appearances but has committed at least two on six occasions. In qualifying, he committed 2.17 per 90.

With Ivan Sunjic potentially only on the bench, his role as an enforcer will be more pronounced.

Hull City’s Liam Millar will be an important attacking outlet for Canada, with his direct style of play important to their chances.

In the Championship, he earned one or more fouls in six of his last seven matches with the Tigers, except the playoff final when Middlesbrough committed only two total fouls. Bosnia will not be so standoffish.

They led European qualifying with 177 fouls – 21 more than any other nation – or 16.5 a game.

This will make a ball carrier like Millar, who has led Canada in dribbles in each of their two pre-tournament friendlies, a clear target.

The 23-year-old is a player who regularly draws a significant number of fouls, earning 1.78 per 90 in Serie A this season with a midtable side.

In a team that expects to be ball-dominant, he is likely to be a magnet for fouls. He has picked up at least two in two of his last three international matches, and against a Bosnia side that is aggressive out of possession, he is likely to find himself a target in this match.

Given he has started the last nine Canada friendlies, he is a key figure in Jesse Marsch’s plans.

Potentially goes up against Ivan Sunjic and Benjamin Tahirovic, who were Bosnia’s leading foul makers in qualifying with 24 and 18, respectively.

I’ve already highlighted Erik Lira as someone to keep an eye on over the course of the tournament, particularly for cards and fouls. 

I’m expecting him to show his aggressive nature from the very first game of the World Cup, he sits at the base of Mexico’s midfield and has committed 15 fouls across eight friendly matches for Mexico in the build up to the competition (2.74 per 90).

He also picked up seven cards domestically last season, so he’s clearly a player to keep an eye on if Mexico do go far at this tournament - it looks like he’s favoured ahead of Edson Alvarez, and it’s possible that his odds for fouls and cards shorten when more people realise just how mental he can be. 

Mexico put five goals past Serbia in their final warm-up game before the World Cup. There’s clearly a very positive atmosphere around the camp, which will only be aided by the side being surrounded by their own fans in all three group games.

They’re taking on the weakest side in Group A in my opinion, South Africa have failed to win any of their warm-up games for the World Cup and also had a pretty kind qualifying group to reach the competition - I think they struggle with the intensity Mexico will play with, as well as the altitude of Estadio Azteca.

South Africa conceded two goals against Panama in their most recent friendly, and also saw 2+ goals in two of their three group games at the African Cup of Nations. I expect Mexico to cover this line on their own in a comfortable victory for the host nation. 

Czechia were very aggressive during qualifying, averaging 15.6 fouls per game - only Lithuania and Bosnia committed more fouls than Miroslav Koubek’s side who will definitely leverage their physicality against a weaker Korea side on paper.

Czechia committed 20 fouls in both of their play-off games to reach the World Cup against Ireland and Denmark. Both of these games did see extra time, but Czechia managed to cover this foul line in normal time in both matches. 

Czechia are very direct and look to make the most of set pieces where they can, 45% of their goals during qualifying came from set pieces - on closer inspection, this is where their foul tallies increase as they tend to be overly physical from these attacking situations. 

Patrick Schick could be a real threat for Czechia at the World Cup, he scored five goals during qualifying which was three more than any other player. 

He’s got a pretty solid record at international level for a nation that don’t have a lot of players to provide him service. He’s netted 26 goals across his 53 caps for his country - and comes into the tournament following a successful season with Leverkusen, scoring 22 goals across 42 appearances.

His five goals during qualifying came from 12 shots on target overall, working out to an average of 1.60 shots on target per 90. 

Back Mexico to hit the ground running with a win over South Africa on Thursday night. El Tri won the 2025 Gold Cup last summer and have been ticking along nicely since then.

In fact, Mexico are unbeaten in eight friendly matches since the turn of the year, winning six of them, the most impressive of which saw them thrash Serbia 5-1 last Friday. Therefore, Javier Aguirre’s side will head into this curtain-raiser brimming with confidence, and a passionate home crowd can spur them on to victory.

As for South Africa, they look the weakest side on paper in Group A and notably lost two of their four matches at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year. Since then, Bafana Bafana have failed to win any of their subsequent four friendlies, which does little to inspire confidence ahead of the cauldron that awaits them at the Mexico City Stadium.

Not only am I expecting Mexico to win on Thursday night, but I also fancy them to score at least a couple of goals en route to victory.

Javier Aguirre’s side put five past Serbia last week and have demonstrated their attacking firepower throughout the year, as they also registered multiple goals in friendly wins over Ghana and Iceland. El Tri also netted twice in their Gold Cup final triumph over the USA last July.

South Africa, on the other hand, have looked vulnerable defensively for much of the calendar year. Hugo Broos’ side conceded two goals against both Zimbabwe and Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations, while their backline was also breached on multiple occasions in a friendly defeat to Panama at the end of March.

I’m keen to back Raul Jimenez to commit two or more fouls. The Mexico forward leads the line with plenty of aggression and physicality, which often results in him getting on the wrong side of the referee.

As one of the co-hosts, Mexico haven’t had any competitive fixtures for some time, but that hasn’t stopped Jimenez from picking up fouls at a steady rate. Across his three friendly appearances in 2026, he has averaged 1.45 fouls per game for Mexico. Notably, the veteran forward was penalised on no fewer than three occasions against Serbia last week, despite only featuring for the opening hour of the match.

That trend has also been evident at club level. During the recently concluded Premier League season, Jimenez averaged 1.88 fouls per 90 for Fulham, being penalised at least twice in four of his final six starts of the campaign.

Look for Julian Quinones to register a minimum of one shot on target on Thursday night. The Mexican winger is a player who likes to try his luck in front of goal at any given opportunity.

That is underlined by the fact that Quinones has averaged a whopping 4.46 shots per game across his last four appearances for his country. In terms of his shots on target output, the 29-year-old worked the opposition goalkeeper during last week’s 5-1 thrashing of Serbia, while he also registered two on-target efforts against Belgium earlier this year.

Those trends have also been evident on the domestic scene this season, with Quinones averaging 4.46 shots per 90 and 1.94 shots on target per game for club side Al-Qadsiah.

I’m more than happy to back Lyle Foster to be fouled at least once on Thursday night.

The Burnley forward is expected to lead the line for South Africa, meaning he should come in for plenty of close attention from Mexico’s centre-backs. Foster was fouled a combined total of three times across his four appearances at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The 25-year-old also drew free kicks on a relatively consistent basis in the most recent Premier League season. In fact, Foster was fouled an average of 0.92 times per game for Burnley in the English top-flight this term, which only strengthens the case for him to earn his side a minimum of one free-kick here.

What’s more, Mexico’s expected centre-back pairing of Cesar Montes and Johan Vazquez have committed respective averages of 1.01 and 1.66 fouls per game over their last four appearances for their country.

Raul Jimenez undoubtedly represents Mexico’s biggest attacking threat, and I think he looks well placed to either score or assist against South Africa on Thursday night. The 35-year-old forward has racked up a quietly impressive return of 45 goals in 126 appearances for his country, alongside 16 assists for good measure.

The most recent of those goals came against Serbia last week, meaning he has now scored 10 times on the international stage since the beginning of 2025. It should also be noted that the experienced frontman found the net in last year’s Gold Cup triumph, underlining his knack for delivering in big moments on the biggest occasions.

The fact that Jimenez registered 12 goal involvements across his 36 appearances for Fulham in the Premier League last season adds further weight to siding with this selection.

Lyle Foster looks too big to ignore when attempting two or more shots. He is likely to spearhead South Africa’s attack on Thursday night, so he should have ample opportunity to register at least two efforts on goal.

Moreover, Foster fired two or more shots in three of his four appearances at AFCON earlier this year, including four against Cameroon and three against Angola. The Burnley forward has since delivered at least two attempts in South Africa’s friendlies against both Panama and Nicaragua.

Foster also averaged 1.31 shots per game in the Premier League last season. That return is far from poor when you factor in that he was playing in a struggling Burnley side, with a number of his appearances coming from the substitute bench.

Back Teboho Mokoena to commit two or more fouls on Thursday night. The all-action South African midfielder is likely to find himself right in the thick of the midfield battle in this Group A opener.

Mokoena’s combative streak was on full display at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, where he racked up a combined total of seven fouls across his four appearances. South Africa have since played Panama in a pair of friendlies, with Mokoena overstepping the mark on multiple occasions in each of those two fixtures.

He also featured at last summer’s Club World Cup for Mamelodi Sundowns, where he gave away two free kicks against Fluminense despite featuring for just 46 minutes.

Mokoena could find himself operating in similar areas of the pitch to Mexico wonderkid Gilberto Mora, who has drawn a sizeable average of 5.10 fouls per game across his last three international appearances.

Johan Vazquez appeals to register one or more shots on target on Thursday night.

The Mexico defender has been testing opposition goalkeepers with impressive regularity in recent times. In fact, the 27-year-old has scored in each of his last two appearances for Mexico, including last week’s 5-1 demolition of Serbia.

Looking further back, Vazquez has also hit the target in friendlies against both South Korea and Uruguay during the second half of 2025. He also got himself on the scoresheet for club side Genoa against AC Milan on the penultimate weekend of the recently concluded Serie A season.

That attacking threat from defence is difficult to ignore, and with Mexico expected to take the more front-foot approach here, Vazquez should again have opportunities to threaten from set-piece situations on Thursday night.

Back Czechia to avoid defeat in their Group A opener against South Korea on Friday.

Miroslav Koubek replaced Ivan Hasek in the Czechia hot seat following a shock 2-1 defeat away to the Faroe Islands during qualifying, and the response has been impressive. The Czechs have since gone six matches unbeaten, winning play-off ties against the Republic of Ireland and Denmark to book their place at this summer’s World Cup.

There have been stronger South Korea sides in years gone by, despite them enjoying a relatively straightforward route to qualification. While the Taegeuk Warriors warmed up with wins over Trinidad and El Salvador, they were thumped 4-0 by Ivory Coast in March before losing 1-0 against Austria three days later.

Czechia are of a similar calibre to those two sides, and on current form, they should head into this contest confident of collecting at least a point.

I’m not expecting goals to flow freely in this game, but I would be surprised if we do not see at least two.

Each of Czechia’s last five matches across all competitions have featured a minimum of two goals, including both of their play-off ties against the Republic of Ireland and Denmark. During the group stage of qualifying, all but one of the Czechs’ seven fixtures broke the over 1.5 goal barrier.

The case is strengthened further when you consider that 18 of South Korea’s last 22 matches have also produced two goals or more. Both sides carry an attacking threat, but neither are completely watertight defensively, so goals at both ends are a real possibility.

I think this game has the feel of a 1-1 draw, or a 2-1 win for Czechia.

Vladimir Coufal looks like a strong candidate to commit at least one foul. The Czechia defender was regularly on the referee’s radar when playing away from home during qualifying.

In fact, Coufal committed multiple fouls in each of his three appearances away from home during the group stage. The former West Ham man was also guilty of one foul against the Republic of Ireland in a play-off semi-final earlier this year.

On top of that, Coufal averaged 1.01 fouls per game in the Bundesliga last season, committing at least one foul in seven of his final 10 appearances of the campaign.

He is likely to find himself operating in similar areas of the pitch to South Korea star Heung-min Son, who has drawn an average of 1.78 fouls per game across his four appearances for his country this calendar year.

Patrik Schick looks like the prime candidate to hit the target at least once during this contest.

The Czechia forward is a talismanic figure for his country, with an impressive return of 26 goals in 53 international appearances. Across his eight outings during World Cup qualifying, Schick hit the target a minimum of once in six of those matches, making the net bulge with five of those efforts.

His shots on target numbers were also strong during the recently concluded Bundesliga season, averaging 1.58 shots on target per 90.

Schick is also his side’s designated penalty taker, which only adds to the appeal of siding with this selection.

Look for Tomas Soucek to be fouled at least once against South Korea on Friday. The towering Czech midfielder not only commits plenty of fouls but also wins his side a fair share of free kicks in the midfield battleground.

Soucek was brought down a combined total of eight times across his 10 appearances during qualifying, with six of those free kicks coming away from home. That trend also carried into last season’s Premier League campaign, where Soucek drew an average of 0.90 fouls per game for West Ham, securing his side eight set-pieces across his final seven outings of the campaign.

Soucek is likely to find himself in a midfield battle alongside Hwang In-beom, who has averaged 1.18 fouls per 90 across his last 17 appearances for his country, while also committing an average of 1.00 fouls per 90 for Feyenoord last season.

Diego Gomez hit double figures for yellow cards this season, accumulating ten bookings from his 37 appearances across all competitions for Brighton. He showed his versatility under Fabian Hurzeler this campaign, featuring on both wings, but Gomez is primarily a central midfielder, and that is where he is likely to feature for Paraguay.

With his national side not short of options going forward, Gomez will shoulder a greater defensive responsibility - he had an average of 1.59 fouls per 90 during their qualifying matches, which translated to two yellows and a red in 13 appearances. 

Gomez is a player who tends to press aggressively, looking to win the ball back high up the pitch. He has a commendable worth-rate, and he isn’t afraid to fly into challenges. In fact, Gomez also averaged 3.88 tackles per game for Paraguay during their qualifiers, which highlights just how willing he is to duel.

Antonee Robinson had a tough domestic season for Fulham, having to deal with persistent injury setbacks, but he looks back to full fitness and is expected to play a big role under Mauricio Pochettino at the World Cup.

USA are likely to be very front-footed on home soil here, led by the former Spurs and Chelsea manager, who typically goes with attack-minded tactics. Robinson should be tasked with getting up and down that left flank regularly, although that can sometimes mean he is caught out of position when USA turn the ball over. 

Paraguay are not short of talent in the final third, with Miguel Almiron, Julio Enciso and Ramon Sosa. The latter is expected to match up against Robinson on the flank, and he is averaging 1.97 fouls drawn per 90 in the Brazilian Serie A this season. The Palmeiras winger likes to drive at his marker and be aggressive, making this a tough task on paper for Robinson.

Bosnia are expected to deploy a strike partnership at the World Cup, with Ermedin Demirovic partnering the experienced Edin Dzeko in the final third. Demirovic is likely to act as the battering ram, looking to utilise his physicality and create space for Dzeko. The Stuttgart man will be the target from long balls forward, as Bosnia are likely to play quite direct and route one football - Demirovic should have plenty of aerial duels to contest. 

The 28-year-old picked up seven yellow cards in 38 appearances across all competitions for his domestic side this season, but he has usually raised his intensity when playing for Bosnia. Demirovic was shown a yellow card in the playoff semi-final against Wales, and he had an average of 2.19 fouls per 90 during the World Cup qualifiers. In the Nations League just before that, Demirovic averaged 2.78 fouls per 90, and he was booked in three of his five appearances.

Richie Laryea looks set for a difficult encounter against Bosnia for Canada’s opening World Cup fixture, as he will be directly up against Esmir Bajraktarevic. The 21-year-old currently plays for PSV, and he is a very technical player who often looks to beat his man. Amar Dedic is another right-sided player for Bosnia - the Benfica man looks set for a massive role at the World Cup, and he often looks to maraude forward and create overlapping runs. 

Laryea is likely to be overloaded on the flank at times, which makes this card price stand out. The fullback has picked up two yellow cards from nine appearances in the MLS this term, which is nothing to write home about, but this will be a step up from the opponent he is used to facing. Laryea is the type of player who can be drawn into a cynical challenge to stop the counter, which bodes well for this selection.

Both Bosnia and Canada are sides that habitually have a high card count, and this threat is likely to be magnified by referee Facundo Tello.

The Argentine has shown at least five cards in nine of the 14 games he has officiated this season – a strike rate of 64.3%.

Canada, meanwhile, have seen three or more cards in six of their last 10 friendly matches, and will be even more aggressive given the adrenaline will be pumping in this game.

The Bosnians have seen at least three cards in four of their last five competitive games. This will not be a game for shrinking violets.

Although Bosnia’s recent matches have been low-scoring, they have tended strongly towards both teams finding the net.

Of their last seven internationals, six have ended with both teams scoring. Indeed, 1-1 draws have been a speciality in recent outings, with four of their last five finishing in that scoreline.

Canada’s recent friendly matches against UEFA opponents have also tended the same way.

They drew 1-1 with Ireland last week and fought back to draw 2-2 with Iceland at home in March, having been a couple down.

Over the course of their five international friendlies in 2026, Canada have consistently racked up enormous numbers of corners.

They are averaging 9.6 per match, never dipping below seven while topping out at 12 on 2 occasions. Expect them to take an aggressive, front-footed approach to their opening match, seeking to gain early momentum in the competition.

With an offensive style that regularly sees high corner counts, this desire to dominate territory should see them manufacture these situations often.

When it came to last season’s Gold Cup, Villarreal winger Tajon Buchanan led Canada in goals (3) but also shots on target (3), joint with strikers Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi.

He has started each of the last two friendlies and has managed a shot on target in each. In his Copa America outing, the biggest competition of his international career, he posted 0.91 shots on target per 90, but his importance to the side has grown since then.

Oluwaseyi is a likely substitute for him if he is replaced, offering some insurance in this market. 

Mexico are one of the host nations at the World Cup and carry real momentum into the tournament - they haven’t lost any of their eight matches this year. 

I’ve managed to sort an unbelievable boost for them to win either half of their opening game against South Africa. They’re 1.20 to win either half of the game, but we’re getting 2.0 which is a price that’s too good to ignore.

Mexico have not lost at Estadio Azteca since a World Cup Qualifier against Honduras back in 2013. They’ve got a real advantage with all three of their group games being in Mexico, with two of the games being at the famous stadium.

This is particularly relevant due to the altitude. The stadium sits 7,200 feet above sea level posing a unique challenge to visiting teams, but the majority of the Mexican squad will be familiar with this challenge. 

South Africa are the weakest side in Group A for me. They had a very kind qualifying group and have failed to win any of their warmup matches for the World Cup. It’s hard to see how they cause Mexico any major problems, they’re priced around 8.5 to win this game so it’s really unlikely we see a surprise. 

This is a great boost to get our World Cup train going, I'm all over it. 

What a boost this is for the World Cup opener, we're getting 2.0 for the host nation to score - boosted from 1.14.

You're not going to find better value for the first match of the World Cup, Mexico put five goals past Serbia in their final warm-up game and have avoided defeat in all eight of their games this year.

You can back Mexico to score @ 2.0 by clicking the link below 👇

Plenty of generosity around for the opening game of the World Cup, and this is another great value boost for us to get behind.

All we need is Mexico to be in front at any point in the game, they've won each of their last three matches and took the lead against Belgium earlier this year.

You can back Mexico to lead at anytime during the game @ 2.0 by clicking the link below 👇

Mexico have seen a first half goal in four of their last five international matches, with the exception being a cagey 0-0 draw with Portugal.

This is a great value boost for an early goal at the World Cup, Mexico should have all the momentum behind them at Estadio Azteca and can strike early - aided by the unique altitude of the stadium which South Africa won't be used to.

You can back a first half goal @ 2.0 for the World Cup opener by clicking the link below 👇

Mexico have everything in their favour to have a strong tournament. They’re one of the three host nations and play all three of their group matches at Estadio Azteca which is a fortress - the last time they lost there in an official international match was 2013.

They take on the weakest side in Group A first in South Africa, who are favourites to finish bottom of this group and were fortunate to come through qualifying with only Egypt offering them a significant challenge alongside Angola and Zimbabwe who both failed to win a single match.

South Africa’s preparation for this tournament has also been far from ideal with Bafana Bafana failing to win any of their last three friendly matches with these games being against Panama and a Nicaragua side who failed to qualify for the competition.

It’s hard to see a world where Mexico don’t come out on top here, they have all the momentum and the conditions couldn’t be better suited to their players. Keep an eye on Gilberto Mora, he could be a real breakout star for Mexico at just 17 years of age.

Raul Jimenez is the top scorer in the Mexico squad with 46 goals across his 126 caps.

He found the target three times in Mexico's final warm-up game against Serbia, also finding the back of the net with one of these efforts.

Mexico's game plan focuses on trying to pick out Jimenez from crosses with their fullbacks often pushing up quite high to find him in dangerous areas.

You can back the striker to have a shot on target @ 2.0 by clicking the link below 👇